Is there more to the Athletics' strange demotion of Esteury Ruiz?

Outfielder Esteury Ruiz has been among the few bright spots on the Oakland Athletics thus far. 

Ruiz had notched three hits in eight plate appearances, showing impressive speed. His play on Sunday, when he tripled, scored two runs and stole a base, helped the A's win their first game of the season. Despite his performance, Ruiz was sent to Triple-A on Monday.

According to Martin Gallegos from MLB.com, Oakland's general manager David Forst said that Ruiz "needs to get on base to use his skills," which the organization wants him to do more consistently. Forst added that the 25-year-old won't be staying long in the minors.

The timing of Ruiz's demotion is strange, especially given that Oakland is far from a contending team. If the A's were that concerned with his ability to get on base, he could have been optioned to Triple-A at the end of spring training. His being sent down has also inspired conspiracy theories. One such theory comes from Gabe Fernandez at SFGate, who speculates that Ruiz was demoted for wearing merchandise supporting Last Dive Bar, an A's blog that helped organize fan boycotts this season.

Ruiz is not the only player who feels Oakland's wrath. Outfielder Brent Rooker, a 2023 All-Star, has appeared in just three games this season. He has struggled, striking out nine times in 12 plate appearances without a hit. His benching can be understood.

That is not the case with Ruiz. He appeared to be building off of a solid 2023 season, during which he produced a .254/.309/.345 batting line in 497 plate appearances, hitting five homers and 24 doubles. His speed was his greatest asset, as he led the American League with 67 steals. Ruiz has been the type of dynamic player the A's need.

Instead, he will return to Triple-A. Oakland claims that his demotion is based on performance, but that does not appear to be true.